The Taste of Near Death

Crush

The next morning the girls woke up to a messy, popcorn covered floor. They tidied it the best they could before going downstairs for breakfast. Azaleas mum had left to go to the bakery, to clear it up, so it was ready to open by next week. Tessa and Azalea were home with just Azaleas dad, who was still asleep.

The two girls crept downstairs to make pancakes for breakfast. They had three each. Tessa had to make one extra because she got one stuck on the ceiling while flipping the pancakes. They cooked some scrambled eggs and bacon to put in two of the pancakes and then put chocolate spread in the last one.

While eating their chocolate filled pancakes, there was a knock at the door. Expecting it was her mum, Azalea ran to the door. She unlocked it and pulled it open.
"Hi, Mu... Zyler?" Azalea looked at Zyler, confused.
"Hi, is Mitzi here?" He asked looking passed Azalea and Tessa hopefully.
"No, sorry. She is at home."
"Wait, how do you know we found her." Tessa chimed in.
"I saw you both with Mitzi running back here. I was on my way home from the park." The two girls looked at each other and then at Zyler.
"Oh" chorused Tessa and Azalea.
"Anyway, sorry for bothering you." Zyler began to turn away when Azalea said,
"It's okay, you can come in for a bit if you want."
"Umm. Errr." Zyler turned back around and hesitated, "Sure, it's a bit cold outside." They all sat down at the table.
"Sorry Zyler." said Azalea. He looked up from the table. "I would offer you a pancake but we have kind of eaten them all."
"It's okay, I just had breakfast anyway."
"If you do want one," added Tessa,      "There is one on the ceiling in the kitchen. I may have flipped the pancake a little too high." They all chuckled quietly and then it all became silence once again.

Suddenly there was another knock at the door. Azalea stood up. She expected it was her Mum again but it wasn't. Azalea opened the door to the postman. He gave her a letter for her Dad- probably bills- and a small package with her name on it. She looked at the package and then at the postman.
"Thank you." She said. She shut the door and brought the package and letter into the dining room where Zyler and Tessa were. The letter was discarded on a near by shelf and the package was placed on a clear part of the table.
"Who's that for?" asked Tessa standing up to get a better look at the package. Following Tessas lead, Zyler did the same. They all huddled around the table.
"It has my name on it." Azalea didn't take her eyes from the package.
"It doesn't say who it's from."
"Maybe there is a letter in the box." Tessa suggested.

Carefully Azalea opened the box. It was filled with bubble wrap. She lifted the bubble wrap with the object in out of the box. Tessa took the box and shook it upside down.
"There isn't a letter," she said, "What's in the bubble wrap?" Azalea unwrapped the object to find a snow globe; like the ones you get at the pound shop. She shook it gently. Shimmers of glitter and fake snow swirled around in the clear liquid. There was a picture behind the snowy swirls. It was Mitzi smiling on the night of Azaleas' birthday party. The two girls looked at each other.
"I can't wait until Mitzi gets better," said Tessa.
"Neither can I." Zyler hasn't spoken for a while so it made Tessa and Azalea jump slightly. They spun it around to see the other side. There was writing in sharp letters. Everyone gasped. The happy mood in the room was harshly swiped away.

It read:
I will take her again, she won't escape. This time she will be taken somewhere where she won't know how to get home. This time I won't just starve her. I will make her death slow and painful.

Tessa read it over and over. She didn't believe it. She didn't want to. She stood there in shock not breathing. She fell to the floor. Zyler caught her in his arms before she hit the floor and carefully lead her down.

Not too soon later, she starting breathing steadily and woke up. She was still lead on the floor but with a pillow under her head. Above her were Zyler and Azalea, staring at her in worry.
"Are you okay?" asked Azalea holding Tessas hand. Tessa sat up slowly and nodded. The snow globe was on the table which had been cleared from the food. Tessa asked if she could see the picture of Mitzi in the snow globe again.